Moving picture film fire eliminator



July 30, 1935. J. P. TAYLOR 2,009,532

MOVING PICTURE FILM FIRE ELIMINATOR Filed Aug. 30, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1935. J. P. TAYLOR 2,009,532

MOVING PICTURE FILM FIRE ELIMINATOR Filed Aug. 30, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 30, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE acaassz MOVING PICTURE FILM FIRE EIJMINATOR Joe P. Taylor, La Porte, Tex.

Application August 30,

2 Claims.

This invention is a device for eliminating the possibility of moving picture film catching fire when the film breaks, sprocket holes tear out, or when for any other reason the film fails to feed 5 in the proper manner.

The invention consists in the provision of a device of the character above mentioned which is controlled by the movement of the film so that as long as the film is moving in the proper manner the shutter will remain open; and when the film stops moving properly for any reason the device ceases to hold the fire shutter open and it is closed by gravity, In other words the fire shutter is moved to a closing position by gravity with respect to the film opening inthe aperture of the projector to thereby shut oil the projector light from the film and eliminate possibilities of the projecting light setting fire to the film.

Further it is an object of the present invention 1 to provide hangers or brackets suitable for mounting the above mentioned device on any moving picture machine at any convenient place, between the top sprocket and the intermittent sprocket thereof, and preferably on the top of the gate or door on a Powers machine.

The invention together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a front elcvational view illustrating the application of the invention to the door or gate of a Powers moving picture projection machine.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view with certain parts broken away and also illustrating the application of the invention to the door or gate of the machine.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through a spring actuated drum forming part of the invention.

Figure 4 is aperspective view of the fire shut ter.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a roller with the shaft on which the roller is mounted shown in section.

Referring to the drawings in detail it will be seen that 5 indicates generally the hinged door or gate of a Powersmotion picture projecting machine, the same being provided with the usual opening 6' across which the film i is movable along tracks 8' provided therefor on the inside of the A door. i

The fire preventing device comprises in the present instance shaft it which is journalled in suitable bearing brackets H provided on the front side of the door 5 above the opening 6. By

1933, Serial No. 687,502

pressing the shutter 8 at one side thereof inwardly as at H the sleeve portion 3 is contracted about the shaft it, and the shutter 8 thus secured to the shaft ID for rotation therewith. At one end the shaft iii is provided with a crank it that is connected through the medium of a link it with an arm i5 integral with or otherwise secured to one side of a drum #5.

The drum i5 is mounted on a shaft i6 jour-= nalled in brackets I! carried by a plate 88 secured as at i9 to the front of the door 5 above the shaft iii, when mounted on a. Powers machine. A closure or end plate for the drum i5 is designated by the reference numeraliii, and said drum i5 and end plate 263 are provided with oppositely extending sleeves 25, the shaft it as shown in Figure 3 is supporting the drum i5 and the shaft rotates in the sleeves 2i.

within the drum it? is a spring 22, the center of which is wound tight onthe shaft and secured to the shaft it. Spring is free of engagement with the drum i5 and operates in bath of gummy or slow running grease or oil contained within the drum In this connection it will be noted that the drum is is provided with a suitable filling neck and plug 23 therefor.

Mounted on the shaft iii to rotate therewith between the bearings ii are rollers 2t, 26 the p ripheries of which are provided with a suitable friction surface and over which is trained the film strip 7'], as said strip leaves the usual guide rollers 25 with which the projector machine is usually equipped and as will be clear from a study of Figures 1 and 2.

The utility and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following.

As is well known the film is caused to move along the track 8' across the opening 6 by means of suitable mechanism including an intermittently operated sprocket, the film moving at about the rate of one frame or about three fourths of an inch at a time, or at the rate of about ninety feet per minute. It will thus be apparent that the rollers 21 turn intermittently. The spring 22 being tight on the shaft l6 will of course rotate with the rollers 24, but the outer end of the spring operating in the slow running grease or oil 26 within the drum i5 creates friction between the drum 15 and the spring 22 with a. result that as the film I is jerked by the intermittent sprocket a winding of -the spring is efiected, while between such jerks the spring is unwindingand thus operating to hold the arm 5' up to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2 and consequently the shutter 8 in the dotted line position shown respect to the opening 6 in the film door. Thus it will be apparent that the shutter 8 is held in the dotted line position shown in Figure 2 until such time as the film 1' stops moving properly in which event the shaft I6 and spring 22 will stop rotating, and therefore the friction caused by the rotating of spring 22 stops, and drum l5, link M, shaft 50, fire shutter 8 and arm are all swung back to full line position by gravity as shown in Efigure 2, thereby closing the opening and shutting projector light off from film I.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a motion picture machine, a gravity closed fire shutter, a member engaging a part of the film and actuated by the movement of the film, means operated by the movement of said member for holding the shutter in open position, such means including a shaft to which in Figure 2 in an out of the way position with the member is connected, a coil spring having one end connected with the shaft, a drum rotatably supported on the shaft and enclosing the spring, thedrum being free of the spring,

and said drum being substantially full of thick lubricant.

2. In a motion picture machine, a gravity closed fire shutter, a rotatabiy supported shaft -to which the shutter is connected, a crank on the shaft, a second shaft rotatably supported, a

member on the second shaft engaging the him drum containing a thick lubricant.

JOE P. TAYLOR. 

